Carbid-lamp.



e. BOWJE.

CARBID LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1911.

1,246,534. I Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

2 SHEiTS-SHEET 1.

660 Boards I GEORGE BOWIE, OF HEREIN, ILLINOIS.

CARBID-LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. February 2, 1917. Serial No. 146,196.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE BOWIE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Herrin, in the county ofv \Villiamson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in carbid-Lamps,

of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has reference, generally, to illumination; and, the invention relates more particularly to an improved carbid lamp.

The invention has for its principal object to provide a carbid lamp in which the sup-. ply of gas to the burner thereof may be replenished when desired, without the necessity of recharging the carbid receptacles, thus, permitting a constant and uniform supply of gas to the burner and as a consequence, afi'ording suificient illumination for the user; the lamp being especially adapted for use by miners and other workmen who are compelled to operate under similar conditions.

It is a more specific object of my invention to provide a carbid lamp having a plurality of carbid containing receptacles, which receptacles are so arranged with relation to the lamp as to permit reversing of the same in order that the supply of gas to the gas chamber and to the burner of the lamp may be maintained at its maximum and the source of light rendered continuous. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide novel cut ofi means for controlling the passage of water to the carbid containing receptacle and the passage of gas to the burner, thus, allowing the generation of gas to be efficiently controlled by the user of the lamp to vary the illuminating flame.

Among other aims and objects of the invention may be recited, the provision of a lamp of the character mentioned with a view to compactness, and in which the number of parts are few, the construction simple,

the cost of production small, and efficiency and operation high.

The invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the parts of the lamp, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be more fully described in the following specification, and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claims, which are appended to the specification and which form an essential part of the same.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved carbid lamp;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section in elevation therethrough Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3'3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. & is a horizontal section taken on the line H of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the novel water cut oil" means.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now more specifically to the several figures of the said drawings,there is provided a hollow cylindrical lamp body,

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

designated by the numeral 1, the said lamp body having oppositely disposed openings formed in the top and'bottom portions thereof, which openings are bordered by externally screw threaded necks 2, whereby, a plurality of carbid containing receptacles 3 and at, having complementary internally threaded neck portions formed thereon, may be turned into engagement with the same. It is to be noted, that'the neck portions as bordering the openings formed within the top and bottom portions of the lamp body 1 are thickened, consequently, reducing the said openings, and are screw threaded to engagethe threaded portion of the openings. An opening i is arranged within the forward portion of the lamp body 1 and is provided with a neck 5, whereby, a suitable curved reflecting element 6 having a concentrically disposed opening 7 may be passed into engagement therewith. A burner tip '8 is inserted intothe opening -l, andas will be understood, is provided with a longitudinal bore, whereby communication between the interior of the body and the said burner will be established. Within the rear portion of the lamp body 1 and opposite to the opening 4 a counter-sunk opening 9 is formed and is adapted to have turned into engagement" with the screw threaded walls thereof a bushing 10, which bushing is engaged with a suitable packing element 11, interposed between the walls of the opening and the inner end of the said bushing. An operating rod 12 is passed through the alined openings as formed within the bushing 10 and the r portion of the lamp body 1 and has its innermost extremity journaled within suitable bearings 13 as arranged upon a support ing plate 1-l positioned within the lamp body 1 and serving, in addition, as an efiicient partition wall for dividing the interior of the lamp body 1 into separate and distinct com-" partments, namely, a water compartment or reservoir 15 and the gas compartment or reservoir 16, it being noted, that the gas reservoir 1G is in communication with the opening l formed in the forward portion'of the lamp body 1, whereby, the gas as generated by the lamp will be continuously fed to the burner 8, By so arranging the bi-iShihglO within the counter-sunk opening 9', it is to be appreciated, that an efiicient stalling gland is provided for the outer extremity of the operating rod 12, and as a consequence, leakage of the water from the water reservoir is o viated. if desired, a pin 1. may be carried by the operating rod 12 and engaged with the inner face of the bottom port on of the counter-sunk opening 9, thus, serv as additional means for preventing the passage of water from the water reservoir 15 th rough the said openings. A filling tube 17 is engaged w'th the water reservoir 15 and e);-

tends through the gas reservoir 16 into the reflector 6 whereat it is providedwith a closure cap to prevent the escape of water.

lVith a view toward pr viding ineans whereby water from the water reservoir 15 may be conducted into each of the carbid containing receptacles 3 and a, there is turned into engagement with the openings as formed within the opposite disposed thickened necksof the body portions, tubular sleeves l8 and 19. Valve stems and '21, ext-end through the openings as formed a la within the tubular sleeves 1S and and have their adjacent ends engaged or formed integral with a horizontally disposed hearing sleeve 22, while the valves and 2% are formed upon the opposite or outer extremities thereof and are adapted to upon the outer marginal edges of the tubular sleeves 18 and 19, at times. is will be noted, the inner extremity of'the operating handle 12 is received through the bearing sleeve and has formed thereupon an elongated lUQ' Thus, by rotation of the said operating nandle, a reciprocatory movement will he iinparted to the valve stems 20 and and their respective valves will be caused to alternately seat upon the outer ends of the tubular sleeves 18 and 19. Hence, the passage of water through the said sleeves into the several carb d containing receptacles 3 and l from the reservoir 15 may be controlled at will by the disposed portions are formed and are adapt ed to receive thereover weighted closure caps 28 and 29, the said closure caps being formed integral with suitable levers ournaled in bearings also formed or arranged upon the inner faces of the thickened neck portions and indicated by the numerals 80 and 31. The closure caps 28 and 29 Wlll be alternately opened and closed by reason of gravity, that is, when the carbid lamp is in position as shown in Fig. 2, the upper closure cap 28 will be swung to open position while the lower closure cap 29 will be swung to closed position over its respective r1ght-angularly disposed portion. Obviously, the arrangement of the closure caps will be reversed upon the reversal of the position of the lamp and the carbid containing receptacles o.

and 4. r

A tube having the ends thereof closed is arranged within the gas reservoir 16 and has a pair of spaced apart apertured Walls 33 and 3st therein, between which a disk valve 35 is loosely arranged, the said disk valve being of a weight to permit the moving of the same by the pressure ofthe gen" erated gas as flowing through the tube. An

exhaust'or discharge opening 36 is formed in one side of the tube 32 intermediate the walls 33 and 3 1 and obviously, permits the discharge of the generated gas into the gas reservoir 16. Gas conducting tubes 39 and l0 are engaged with'the tube 32 at suitable points throughoutthe length of the same and are passed into engagement with the carbid containing receptacles 3 and t, it of course, being understood, that but one of the said conducting tubes extends intoa.

single carbid containing receptacle and that a suitable opening is formed within the thick ned neck portions to permit the introduction of the lower portions of the said tubes therethrough. By this arrangement, such gas as will be generated within the carbid containing receptacles 3 and l will be caused to pass upwardly tl'irough the gas conducting tubes 39 and 10 into the gas reservoir 16 from whence it will flow through the burner 11113 8 the longitudinal bore of outwardly for consumption.

Perforated caps 41 are arranged within each of the carbid containing receptacles 3 and 4 and have seated upoii the upper portion thereof filtering disks 4-2 formed of felt or other suitable material, whereby, the generated gas as passing through the gas conducting tubes 39 and 40 will be thoroughly filtered or cleansed before its introduction into the gas reservoir 16. To insure proper connection between the carbid containing receptacles 3 and at, and their respective neck portions as formed upon the body portion 1, packing gaskets at?) may be interposed therebetween.

As is usual in carbid lamps of this particular type, some means whereby the same may be supported in various positions and attached to various articles is desirable and to this end, the outer extremity of the operating handle 12 is bent upon itself to provide a hook member eat, one lateral portion of which is engageable with oppositely disposed spring clips allixed to the outer face of the lamp body side wall and at points in proximity of the said hook. Thus, upon rotation of the handle 12, wherebyto control the passage of water into the several carbid containing receptacles, one lateral portion of the hook at will be engaged with a particular spring clip to and consequently, securely maintained in its adjusted position and insuring the proper flow of water from the water receptacle into the desired carbid containing receptacle.

The operation of the lamp may be reviewed as follows:

Assuming that each of the carbid containing receptacles 8 and a: have been properly charged with carbid and that water is contained within the water reservoir 15, the ope ating handle 12 is so rotated as to cause the opening of one of the valves 23 and 24, while the other valve is closed. The lamp is now so positioned as to rest upon that carbid containing receptacle containing the open valve, whereupon, a suitable flow of water from the water reservoir 15 will be discharged into the said carbid containing receptacle and gas instantly generated within the same. The generator gas will pass by way of the particular gas conducting tubes as communicating with the carbid receptacle, into the gas reservoirs 16 from whence it will flow through the longitudinal bore within the burner tip 8 outwardly for consumption. It will of course be understood, that the flow of gas from the tube 32 into the gas reservoir 16 willbe controlled entirely by the action of the disk valve 35. For instance, should the gas be flowing from the carbid containers 13 into the said tube by way of the conducting tubes #10, the pressure of the gas will be suflicient to move the disk valve 35 into engagement with the apertured wall 33, thus, fully covering the same and causing the gas to be discharged through the apertured wall 3st and shunted by way of the discharge opening 36 into the reservoir 16. However, should the gas be flowing from the carbid container 4 through the conducting tube 39 into the tube 32, the disk valve would be then forced by the gas pressure over into engagement with the apertured wall 33, thereby closing the same and permitting the gas to flow" bythrough the aperture in the saidwall 33 way of the discharge opening 36 into the gas reservoir 16. When the carbid within the receptacle has been exhausted of its gaseous products, the positioning of the lamp is reversed and the operating handle l2'is so rotated as to cause the reversing of the valves 23 and 2 At this time, a flow of water will be conducted from the reservoir 15 into t re fresh carbid containing receptacle and consequently, a continuous flow of gas into the reservoir 16 will be provided."

To recharge the receptacles 3 and it is of course, only necessary to turn the same out of engagement with the externally screw threaded neck portions formed upon the lamp body 1.

I am aware that changes may be made in the various arrangements and combinations of parts as well as in the details of the construction of the same, without departing from the scope of my present invention, as defined in the appended claims. Hence, I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the devices and parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and as described in the accompanying specification, nor do I confine my self to the exact details of the construction of the said parts.

I claim:

1. In a lamp, gas and water reservoirs, a plurality of oppositely disposed carbid containers engageable with thereservoir, said lamp being capable of reversal for establish- 'ng communication between the reservoirs and either of the containers, means for controlling the passage of water from the water reservoir into the containers, single means for operating said controlling means, and other means for automatically controlling the passage of gas from the containers into the gas reservoir.

2. In a lamp, gas and water reservoirs, a plurality of oppositely disposed carbid containers engageable with the reservoir, said lamp being capable of reversal for establishing communication between the reservoirs and either of the containers, air supplying means for the water reservoir, automatic cut off means for controlling the passage of air tirough said air supply means, means for controlling the passage of water from the water reservoir into the containers, a single means for actuating said water controlling means, and other means for automatically controlling the passage of gas from the containers into the gas reservoir.

3. In a lamp, a body having gas and Water reservoirs therein, a plurality of carbid containers engageable With said body at opposite points, conducting means coinmunicating With each of said containers and the Water reservoir, other conducting means communicating with the containers and the gas reservoir, a bearing sleeve having oppositely disposed valve stems, valves arranged upon the outer extremities of said stem and engageable with said first conducting means for controlling the passage of water there through, and single means received by said sleeve for actuating the valve.

4. In a lamp, gas and Water reservoirs, a plurality of oppositely disposed carbid containers engageable With the reservoirs, said lamp being capable of reversal for establishing communication between the reser voirs and either of thecontainers, and pressure operated means for controlling the passage of gas into certain of said reservoirs.

5. In a lamp, gas and Water reservoirs, a plurality of oppositely disposed carbid con tainers engagcable with the reservoinsaid lamp being capable of reversal for establishing communication between the reservoirs and either of the containers, means for collectively controlling the passage of Water from the Water reservoir into the carbir containers, and pressure operating means for controlling the passage of gas from said carbid containers to the gas reservoir.

In testimony whereof, I atlix my signature hereto.

GEORGE BOWVIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. r 

